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Herbie Goes Bananas (1980)

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19 comments in total

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6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
A journey too far, 1 abril 2002

Author: Stefan Kahrs de Canterbury, England

Easily the weakest of the series, this is a film the Herbie franchise could have done without. Having a child as the nominal lead in an essentially adult role is a surprisingly common motif in children's movies; surprisingly, because more often than not it fails to work and it certainly fails here. Eight-year old taxi drivers? I think not, not even in Mexico. Our Paco is more annoying than lovable and I found myself rooting for the villains instead.

Clearly the writers are to blame for the mess - the cast is actually quite good, e.g. you cannot ask for much better villains than John Vernon, Alex Rocco and Richard Jaeckel, but they were fighting a loosing battle against a rotten script.

The best asset of the film is Harvey Korman who shows the right spirit, and is given the freedom to act out his madcap humour. Neither his routines nor his character fit very well into the story, but the story is so weak one does not care.

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
3/10 **/5 ~ Beloved Bug Bites Bottom., 5 abril 2004

Author: Doctor_Mabuse de United States

This third and last theatrical sequel to the classic Walt Disney Production The Love Bug (1969) brought the enormously successful franchise about a magical Volkswagen to a screeching halt. Herbie deserved a better send-off.

There's just no love left in the poor little disrespected cash-car. Filmed on the cheap in Mexico, this entry has none of the quality and charm of its original and trashes all that was good about the preceding sequels. Vincent McEveety, the weakest of Disney's three main directors during this period, was assigned the project after having done a fair job with Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo, but makes no effort to elevate the project above the level of its poor script.

The frenetic, maudlin result is one of the worst Disney films. Talented comic performers Harvey Korman, Cloris Leachman and Charles Martin Smith are wasted on unfunny material. Only the clever stunt and effects work save this mechanical destruction derby from oblivion.

The Love Bug was eventually revived for a brief TV series and made-for-TV movie, but Disney was flogging a dead V-Dub.

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6 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Herbie stinks in this film, 16 enero 2002
Author: michael de kansas

Herbie's motor was starting to sputter, so to speak, in "Herbie Goes Bananna's". It can be argued that this is the weakest in the series as far as plot, characters, and Herbie himself are concerned. The title is one of the major problems of the films. Bananna's were used in only a minute spot on the film. A better title probably would have been "Herbie Stinks in This Film". The thinly thought-out plot, if you can call it that, has no real direction and it's not clearly explained. You had to look really hard to tell what was going on and why. Characters are another major problem with this film. Panco was little more than a prop to hold up the story; he was at best a pain and of no real help to the film. The other characters were awful - they could have been used much better than they really were. The same goes for the crooks, too. Unfortunately, Herbie doesn't add a whole lot to the film either. Compared to his other films, there's barely any slapstick commedy and he doesn't really help anybody else out in this film, unlike his other ones. Herbie definitely wore out his welcome mat here in this film. The other three are a much better alternative to this film.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
What the heck happened?, 22 febrero 2005

Author: (Kristycoolbeans@comcast.net) de United States

I was disappointed when I rented this - the only reason I bought it was partly for loyalty, partly to see if I missed something, if it was any better than I thought...No, in case you're wondering; it was just as lacking the 2nd time I saw it; now I'm just waiting to give it away. A lot of things were left out of this movie that made the 1st 3 so enjoyable, not just Dean Jones. I was a little surprised that he wasn't around, since his character makes a mega-comeback in Monte Carlo, but if he was in this film it'd be a black mark on his record. Jim Douglas has retired, & leaves Herbie to his nephew Pete. He & his friend Davey doubt it'll win a race, so just plan to return home w/it. When they see how fast it can go, they change their minds & decide to race in Mexico - but get delayed 50 times. Paco, a native pickpocket who swipes their & a smuggler's wallets, is invited by Herbie to hide in the trunk. He's taken along on the ship that'll get them all to the race - but is caught. The stupid pirate-obsessed captain accuses Pete & Davy of kidnapping, & when Herbie tries to rescue Paco, he orders Herbie to be thrown overboard. After landing and escaping once more, Paco finds Herbie - & runs into the smugglers, who inform him that the wallet he returned is empty. Now he steals "Pete's" wallet which really belongs to the thieves, & is forced to escape both by fleeing w/Herbie, the captain, & a few women Pete & Davey "befriend" on the boat, to stop the smugglers from stealing goods. The bull-fight they get into along the way's a highlight in the movie - partly because there's not much else to look forward to. Herbie's name was never used; the only name he gets is "ocho" from Paco. He can't swim - it's pretty clear he's lost that ability over time; in Love Bug he skates right over water, in Rides Again he sinks before floating like a human, here he drops like a rock & barely survives. The men pretend to like the women they meet on the ship, but it's just to get support in the race, & there's no sign that they've been forgiven. Nobody except Paco & Louise (1 of the women), had no idea until near the end that they were dealing w/a car that had brains or power. It isn't proved by a race either - for all the trouble they go through to enter him in a race, it isn't shown. I don't understand why he helps Paco the thief, even if he is loving. The title confuses me - it's a reference to Herbie's being covered w/bananas as a disguise, but that was 5 minutes at the most. He was also "dressed" as a taxi w/signs all over - but that didn't amuse me. The only thing that could've made this more disloyal to the series was if they'd excluded the car Herbie. I was so bored w/this I forgot the plot & characters. A good example of a bad sequel.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
A Twist of Fate, 28 mayo 2005

Author: Tbone117367 de United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

The fourth Herbie took a twist of fate. No racing, no Dean Jones, and no quality movie. I thought there should have been a story where Douglas and Applegate continue on their racing quest to a country like Germany or Italy. These writers probably thought that the "racing" idea was too tiring to be used anymore. I did read on some site that Dean Jones did read the actual script for the "Bananas" movie. He said no because of the story's new twist itself. I can't blame him for that. Even if he was in that storyline, the movie might have been a bit better but still the worse. If the movie was about racing again, then Jones returns but probably not as good as Monte Carlo. Instead, new story with new characters that made no sense. Therefore, this is where the movie went wrong. This is also where the movie had the twist of fate.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Cutting room floor could have been deeper, 24 diciembre 2004

Author: Bill Jones de Canada

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Yanking a few scenes from this Herbie would have been smart. Rework the "walk the plank" into some other way to get the bug to it's destination. There are some very comical parts in this movie. Leachman and Martin Smith put character into the movie. The rest were along for the ride and you knew it. The villains were more smart and ruthless in this episode than others. However there were some real stupid moves that disagreed with this notion. The scene with the plane and the heavy gold disk was an insult to everyone's intelligence. Great care should be used to leave magic and mystery where expected (Herbie and Coincidence)but not go beyond the laws of physics in other parts of the production. Large gold objects rolling around inside a small aircraft will destroy it very quickly. Not much racing in this one either. I find my kids watch the other Herbie movies and this sits on the shelf

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Disappointing, 29 julio 2003

Author: theninja de NSW, Australia

I love Herbie - it's hard not to. However I can recognise how the four movies gradually get worse. This was the worst one. Now I'm not saying it was terrible, and I don't agree with a comment above that says "make the kids watch something else", but it was a disappointing effort.

The Love Bug is by far the best, closely followed by Herbie Rides Again. Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo is OK, but Bananas is not very good at all. If you're not a fan of Herbie movies, you won't like this.

5/10

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3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
A great movie once you get used to it, 26 noviembre 2005

Author: jre-5 de United States

Personally I don't know why so many people dislike this movie. I'm 23 and don't usually like fairytale type stories much anymore, but I find Herbie goes Bananas to be a lot of fun and usually very enjoyable. Some things about it are rather ridiculous, like a kid driver and other items, but after all, it's a fantasy movie just like all the other Herbie films for that matter. Some parts don't exactly fit together or make sense, like how Herbie knows where Paco is when he's left behind in the jungle, why Herbie would be let up into the Pannama Canal, and other things. But if you just forget about the parts that wouldn't work in real life and enjoy the story and events that take place it's a lot of fun. Of the now 5 main Herbie movies, The Love Bug, Herbie Rides Again, Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo, Herbie Goes Bananas, and Herbie Fully Loaded, I wouldn't say this is my favorite, but I don't think it's my least favorite either, they're all pretty good.

I admit that when I first saw it there were plenty of things that didn't seem right, but after seeing it a few times and getting used to it I got to really liking it. Some things I found to be a bit unpleasant, confusing and sort of mixed up. I didn't like it that Herbie rusts in the water and nearly drowns, but after all this isn't the first time Herbie is damaged and later fixed. Sometimes it's confusing all the different items going on at once. I do think it could have been better with perhaps a few less characters and a few less stops between the main events. There are plenty of things that could have been better, I wouldn't argue with that at all, and it is considerably different from the other movies. But after watching it a few times and getting the feel for it I learned to really like it. I think it just takes some getting used to, the more I watch it the more I enjoy it. One of the only things that I never like is the rude, annoying behavior of the pirate like Captain Blythe.

Many parts I find to be very funny, especially the scene that the movie is named after, where Herbie is throwing Banana's at the crooks near the end. Maybe it's just my opinion, but I find this to be hilarious. I don't think the movie title should have been named after this though.

Anyways, I think it's a great movie once you get used to it. Some parts could have been better, but I find it to be just as good as the other Herbie movies.

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3 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
adios Herbie, 3 junio 2002

Author: Baldach de Mesa,AZ

This was the last Herbie movie to my knowledge. If it wasn't the last, it was defintely the worst. What else do you call a movie when a Mexican child calls Herbie "ocho" ( he adds up Herbie famous number "53" and gets eight). Then this Mexican child does a horrible paint job and starts using Herbie to run a taxi service. In my humble opinion the only reason to watch this film is to see what sort cellouiod trash Disney was putting out before Michael Eisner took over.

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An okay sequel overall, but for me the weakest in the series, 18 junio 2008

Author: Moviefreak4653 de United States

Herbie Goes Bananas was an okay sequel, it was just laking the greatness that the first one brought, and some clever entertainment that the other 2 sequels could offer.I mean it was i guess a entertaining and watchable sequel, it was just not that great and needed a touch up.The things i didn't care for were,the little boy, he only got annoying in the beginning, the ideas that they added in this were not that great and made it feel a bit plain.Ill say it was entertaining and Herbie was himself which made it entertaining.So overall this is a bit of a let down for the series and could have been done better, but her they made this okay and nevertheless entertaining.

6.2 out of 10 stars

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